FARE GAME

It has become common to see ad messages and sports scores appearing on New York taxi tops. With the creation of a new full-color audio/ video program that will soon be available to advertisers, such messages will also be seen inside cabs.

The monthly entertainment news-magazine show, Broadway TV, was developed by Clear Channel Taxi Media, a division of Clear Channel Outdoor. Broadway TV, which will focus on entertainment, is slated to appear 70 times a day in each participating New York taxi. The show will feature celeb rity interviews, features and public-safety messages, among others.

The 11-and-a-half–minute program runs on an MPEG1 digital chip and appears on an eight-inch diagonal screen that is mounted at an angle inside the cab. It starts when a person enters a taxi. Passengers cannot turn the program off, but can adjust the volume or put it on mute.

“It’s like a TV show, and it’s as captive an audience as you’re going to get,” said Tom Haymond, vp/executive producer, Clear Channel Taxi Media/Broadway TV.

The initiative starts testing in New York City in October; the full rollout starts in November. CPM rates currently range from about $3-15.